In spite of their best efforts, there were a number of things missing from my experience at 707. The Cherry Bomb cocktail which kick-started my culinary adventure was delightful, but should have served as an indication that 707 would fall flat on its numerical head.
I was delighted to see that the menu was varied enough for the more experimental of diners, but still managed to cater to the less adventurous palates amongst us. Our slightly aggressive waitress helpfully pointed out that there were both hot and cold appetizers on the menu. Thus, we decided to order the truffled leeks vinaigrette as a cold appetizer and the duck confit and risotto for the hot.
My charming companion for the evening had a psychological aversion to eating "things that swim or paddle" so it was with much coercing that I managed to get her to try the duck confit as one of our three appetizers. It was pleasantly crispy and its flavor was nicely accentuated by the blood oranges and yellow beets that served as the base. However, it was largely downhill from there. The risotto was cursed with severely unappetizing aesthetics and the flavor of the garnishing peas and carrots was lost under the heavy burden of excess cheese. Furthermore, the truffled leek vinaigrette barely lived up to its overly-complicated naming. Two leeks, overcooked yet delicately placed on top of each other, were drowning in vinaigrette. I even found myself asking, what the "truffled" part of the dish was because, as far as my palate could tell, there were no truffles.
While the menu was clearly trying to be eclectic in its choice of appetizers, it absolutely failed to be unique in its entrée portion. I ordered the 707 burger, hoping that the good name of the restaurant would not be sullied by a poor dish. Unfortunately, the dish did not meet my reasonable expectations. Despite the array of accompanying cheeses offered to complement the burger and brioche surroundings (I chose Swiss, for the record) the burger was average. My leggy blonde date's choice of roast chicken was equally average; not even the horseradish and endive accompaniment could excuse its overpriced nature.
Although the desert of chocolate hazelnut torte valiantly tried to save the meal, its paradoxically crunchy yet smooth texture did nothing more than solicit my need to ask for the check. which by the way, came to a grand total of $92.32 for a two person, three-course meal.
Ultimately, 707's pretentious and dull description of itself as a contemporary American bistro was reflective of the overall nature of its dining options while making it perfectly clear that not even new chef Jayson Grossberg can save the restaurant from an unfortunate truffled abyss.
